Running Out South Florida Is Using And Abusing Resources Faster Thjan It Is Fixing Its Problems.

March 25, 1990|By ROBERT McCLURE, Staff Writer

South Florida`s environmental forecast: More of the same, but worse. And more expensive.

As South Florida`s ever-swelling population confronts the limits of the region`s resources, people living here likely will feel the pinch in their pocketbooks and in their lifestyles.

But how quickly South Florida will move to deal with these problems remains in doubt.

Take recycling, for instance.

People are increasingly aware that expensive garbage-burning plants can emit dangerous chemicals and that garbage dumps can foul underground water supplies.

Yet no residents are being forced to separate their garbage for recycling -- a step activists say could head off the need for more garbage burners and landfills -- despite a national poll that found that two-thirds of Americans favor mandatory recycling.

Voluntary recycling programs in Palm Beach County are snagging about one- tenth of the garbage on the way to the landfill -- only one-third the goal set by state law. In Broward, the figure is even lower.

``I thought we could do it -- We the People -- but we`re still in the `I generation, me first,``` said Rybyn Dee, a recycling activist who lives near Boca Raton.

``I think the bulk of the people -- and this is going to sound terrible -- are too lazy. We`re in such a convenient society that to learn new tricks is going to be too much trouble for them,`` Dee said.

Officials say they are confident they can get people to recycle but acknowledge that they are counting on citizens` goodwill and cooperation.

Aside from the garbage quandary, other environmental problems promise to worsen in coming years, or cost people more money to fix, or both:

--Water. The water supply crunch is already being felt, and many cities` growth plans are inadequate to deal with a drier South Florida, water managers say. They recently told Dade County it could not have all the water it wants in the future. In Broward County, officials are still struggling to come to terms with each other to keep out invading underground salt water that threatens the drinking water supply. Palm Beach County`s growth plan takes water supply into account, but plans of several major municipalities are ``weak,`` water managers said.

--Air. By this time in 1991, motorists will have to get their cars` exhausts checked once a year -- at $10 a pop -- and get a tuneup if they are polluting too much.

But it is not certain how much the new checks will reduce pollution. Even as cars get cleaner, there will be more and more cars putting out some pollution, so the overall picture could get worse, said Bruce Offord of the state Department of Environmental Regulation.

The emissions checks are part of a ``good-faith effort`` by Florida to meet federal pollution standards, Offord said. If the air is still too dirty, tighter standards will have to be imposed, he said.

--Floods. An aging, overworked drainage system could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fix. Officials are not sure how to pay for it, but they are looking at property taxes.

--Underground water supply. Officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties say they are finally getting a handle on dangerous chemicals near drinking water supplies, and should have the problem in hand by 1995. This will cost money to enforce, as will beefed-up checks of drinking water quality.

Landfills will continue to threaten groundwater supplies, while gasoline tanks are covered by less stringent rules than intended in Palm Beach County, making them one of the most prevalent threats. In Broward, stricter rules cover the tanks only if they are near drinking water wells.

All these environmental threats will cost more and more money to take care of, assuming they can be controlled.

Many will mean lifestyle changes as well, officials say.

For instance, in a move that could change the face of some sections of South Florida, a state commission recently recommended use of alternative landscaping to reduce water use, such as replacing lush green lawns with brown wood chips.

That`s part of a coming water conservation trend that also will mean higher water bills. Almost everyone associated with water issues thinks water bills will jump in coming years. The question is how high they will go, and when, and where. When that happens, more lifestyle changes are on the way.

When water bills start looking more like electricity bills, ``You don`t let your son have the beer party at your house,`` said John Wodraska, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District.